The Last Winter
by appleappleapplepear
Summary: AU: Wyndia is destroyed, wiped out by the ruthless army of The Brood. Those that survive flee to the mountains, where the cold of the wind is sharper than the blade of a sword. After 33 years of uneasy peace, Warlord Bronn has demanded Nina be handed over to be his mistress. Will a mysterious Brood solider be able to save her from the darkness that threatens to consume? REPOST
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I do NOT own anything from the Breath of Fire franchise.  
**Warning:** Contains adult content including sexual material and violence that some readers may find offensive. Rating is subject to change, if you feel this should be an M please let me know.  
**Authors Note:** Please be aware that this is a repost. I was unhappy with the plot holes in the original three chapters I uploaded at the beginning of this year. Thank you to the wonderful reviewers who read the first version, I hope you enjoy this just as much.  
Also, I have terrible spelling and grammar but I will endeavour to make everything as correct as possible, however there will be mistakes. I apologize in advance.

* * *

_Wyndia is destroyed, wiped out by the ruthless army of the Brood. Those that survive flee high into the mountains, where the cold of the wind is sharper than the blade of a sword. After years of uneasiness, the Brood Warlord has demanded that Nina be handed over to be his mistress, and in exchange he will grant the remnants of the once mighty Wyndia race the only thing they desire - peace. Reluctantly, Nina is sent to Mizuchi, the City of Dragons where danger lurks every corner._

_Will the Brood Warlord keep his end of the bargain? How long will Nina be able to hold out before falling into the darkness that threatens to consume? Will a mysterious blue haired solider be able to show her the light and save her once and for all?_

**The Last Winter**

An AU NinaRyu story by BeautifulDusk

* * *

**Chapter One**

It was cold.

Always so Landon damned cold.

Nina shivered as she wrapped her thin, tattered cloak tighter around her trembling shoulders. The red haze of the setting sun did little to comfort her as she trudged through the mud, icicles already starting to form on the gooey substance that squelched painfully beneath her bare feet. Her breath rose in front of her pale face in puffs of fine mist.

Villagers walked beside Nina in a dreary silence as they made their way back to their homes through the snow-covered pine trees that dotted the mountain side fields, hastened by the fierce wind that was flaying their exposed skin. Nina closed her wings closer to her body in a desperate need for protection from the cold as she clutched her broken wooden bucket that held her measly rations for dinner, a half rotten potato, several small carrots and a bitter cabbage. It was all she had to feed her family.

With a sigh of relief, she entered through the gated entrance of her home village, Teikō. the air already thick with smoke from lit fires. It was not a large community, the last head count barely hitting 500 citizens, with only 50 soldiers to protect them. The village itself ran up a sharp slope, little shabby houses dotted the single dirt track that wove it's self through the middle, acting as the main road. To Nina's left was the area designated for the market where people would trade their food and goods with one another, meat and firewood being the most valuable and sought after items. There was little shelter, which made trading difficult during terrible weather.

Nina sighed again as she walked into the hut that she had known all her 19 years of life as home. Fortunately for Nina, it was the largest building in the entire village, and one of the only ones to have iron sheets which gave more protection from the harsh elements than the standard, rotting wooden planks that formed the other villagers homes. This was due to her father being Major of Teikō, or rather what was left of the war-torn citizens that once inhibited Wyndia. Nina placed her bucket beside the cracked cooking pot before putting her hands over the fire, desperately trying to defrost them and rubbing them together to encourage warmth.

"Nina! What did I tell you about going out into the fields? A young woman of your stature should not be out there like a dirty peasant," Louise growled scornfully as she crouched down beside her oldest child, moving the cooking pot and adjusting it above the flames. Nina's lips trembled from the freezing temperatures too much to talk, so instead she moved over to give Louise room and avoided looking at her mothers piercing glare. "Your father would be disappointed. Go bathe yourself before he returns. If you're lucky he wont notice," Louise snapped.

Nina groaned internally, the last thing she wanted to do was remove her layers and get into a bath filled with icy water. She opened her mouth in protest but was silenced by the look of authority on Louise's hardened face, the dim fire light illuminating the deep lines caused by years of destitution and emotional stress.

"Yes mother," Nina murmured, before forcing her body from the tantalizing heat of the small fire. She moved to a room out the back that held the bath- the only one of its kind in the village. Nina glared at the tub before quickly removing her tunic and pants. Nina yelped as she slipped her dirty, naked body into the water, squeezing her face tight in the effort to not jump straight back out.

'_Oh well, at least I don't have to go to the river like the rest of the villagers,_' Nina thought tiredly to herself as she hurriedly washed herself over with an old sponge. It had not always been like this. Nina had heard tales of before she was born that Wyndia was a prosperous kingdom, ruled by her very own white-winged royal family of the Wing Clan.

Several decades ago the Dragon army had invaded. Wyndia, a city that symbolized peace, had no real army and was easily defeated. Its glorious city and castle was crushed into ash and rubble, her people forced to flee high into the mountains. Nina's grandfather King Rupert III was beheaded by the Dragon army, leaving her father Eldon, an inexperienced 15 year old to scramble together their people in the time of crisis. That had been 33 years ago. Nina's mother Louise had only been 11 when she lost everyone and everything dear to her, scaring the woman for life.

The remaining few that survived had settled on Mount Voldorn, a mountain already known for it's brutal never ending winter. They had named the settlement Teikō in defiance. The Dragon Army had laughed in contempt, leaving them to die up in the snow. However, the Wyndian race was resilient. With the seeds that the elders smuggled, they were able to use the rough terrain to plant crops which bore just enough to sustain the village.

Meat was harder to come by, however the few remaining warriors were able to perfect spearing the Alpine goats that roamed the mountain side. Teikō had enough to survive, but it was hard. The old got older faster, the youth got sick and easily died from the brutal temperatures. Nina's father Eldon had taken the title of Mayor as he could hardly consider their small village a kingdom.

Louise struggled more than most people. Nina could hear her crying every night, the noise muffled by her pillow sack, the sound pulling at her battered heart strings. Louise was use to the finest of everything having been raised in the castle. Never once did she have to want for anything. She had been betrothed to Eldon months before the evasion, but the actual act of marriage didn't happen until the chapel had been erected in Teikō . She fell pregnant 5 years after the invasion when she was 16, the couple were overjoyed and for the first time since the invasion felt hope.

Nina had been told in quiet whispers that her brother had been a bonny wee boy, adored by everyone before the sickness cruelly came and took him away only a couple of weeks after birth, goddess bless his little soul. The same happened to Louise's and Eldon's second son a few years later, and the twin girls had been still born the next year. Their pain was too great to try again until Louise turned 28, when she received news on her birthday that she was pregnant, much to her surprise as it was not planned. Nina had been born without an incident, and survived the sickness. The village relaxed, a heir had survived.

However, when Louise had given birth to her sixth child early the previous year, the village seemed to hold its breath, even more afraid of complications of Louise's old age of 46. It had been a hard delivery, Louise nearly dying from the loss of blood and trauma. Nina could still remember her mothers agonizing screams which haunted her nightmares to this day. Yet again, fate was on their side. The child was fine, and went from strength to strength. When the babe reached a year old, they named him Rupert IV after the King, Eldon's father.

Nina remembered watching her father weep with joy, an emotion she had never seen from him when her brother was officially named. Nina had been informed by an elder that the naming ceremony was a relativity new tradition to the Wyndian's, it meant if the child made it to one year they might actually have a chance to grow and live. No one wanted to name their child only just to lose them a week later, it was better to not get attached. Nina decided that night she never wanted to marry and have children, not if it meant so much pain.

"Are you done? I'm almost finished with supper," Louise called as Nina picked the grime out of her nails, paranoid that Eldon would be able to see the tiniest speck of dirt and know what she had done. She clambered out of the bath, flexing her wings as much as she could to shake off the water from her feathers before drying herself off with the damp towel Nina and her mother shared.

Nina emerged back into the main room fully dressed in a fresh tunic, running her fingers through her long, blonde hair trying to de-tangle it. Louise clicked her tongue in agitation before pulling her daughter closer to her so she could brush out the knots. "I wish you would pay more attention to your hair," her mother sighed as she used the cherry wood comb, her only treasured item left from the old days. Nina adored the tiny delicate carvings of flowers on the beautifully crafted handle, it was the closest she had ever seen to the real thing.

They sat in front of the fire in silence until Louise was happy with the results, before she eased herself up to tend to the simmering pot above the crackling fire. "Mother, where is father?" Nina inquired politely as she nodded her head in thanks as Louise passed her a small worn bowl, careful to not slosh the steaming soup.

"He is still in a meeting with the village elders, there were reportings of Dragon soldiers at the base of the mountain again. I don't expect him to be home any time soon. Can you please go and check on your brother when you're done with that? He's probably due for a change."

"Dragon soldiers again? But why?" Nina frowned. The idea of any of the Brood coming near the village made her shudder, and her blood shimmer with a suppressed rage. She had heard many stories of how they had tortured her people, including the grandfather and grandmother that she never got to meet.

"I don't know. I honestly don't know. A scout was spied only 5 miles down the track a little over a month ago. Between you and me I hope they don't come any closer, but why should they there is nothing here for them. They already took everything away from us, including our dignity," Louise spat, her hazel eyes filled with hatred.

Nina gulped, regretting opening her mouth. "How is Ruppie?" She inquired, trying to change the subject before they both worked themselves up.

Louise's face immediately softened, her wings opening away from her body which glee. "He said his first word today." She smiled, a rare sight for Nina to see. It was times like these that Nina felt pity for her mother, for when she smiled parts of Louise's beauty showed. If the world had been different, Louise would've been a sight to behold.

"No way!" Nina squealed once her mothers words sunk in, forgetting her barely palatable soup in her excitement. "What was it?"

"It was 'no'. I think he is going to take after me," Louise laughed dryly, nudging Nina's bowl towards her. "Finish up, I don't want you working in those fields for nothing. Promise me you wont do it again?"

"Yes mother," Nina smiled blandly. They both knew she was lying. Without the extra food Nina brought in they would starve.

Much later, the half-moon shone through the only window in the room, illuminating Nina's pale face as she lay on her bedding deep in though. She stared out at the night sky, studying the stars, feeling so close to them that she was sure one day she would be able to pluck them from the sky. Her mother snored quietly on the mat next to her, a slumbering Rupert tucked in close to her breast. Nina sat up, noticing at once that her father had not returned. Anxiety chewed at her gut, normally it was only because of a crisis that Eldon would be stuck in a meeting all night. Nina shook her head, dispelling her fear. Why would the Dragon army want to bother with the pathetic remains of the Wyndia race?

Nina wrapped herself with her cloak that was still soaked from her gathering during the previous day, careful not to wake her mother as she slipped outside. Her breath rose in front of her as her feet crunched on the fresh layer of snow that had fallen a few hours ago. Nina thanked the goddess that the wind had gone away, the cold was almost bearable for once. Almost.

Nina stuck to the shadows in hope that no one would see her as she walked down the path to the woods that was south of the village. She made way through the pine trees, barely needing to rely on the weak moon light to guide her through the track she had walked many times before. The trees grew more dense before she came across a remote clearing, empty except for a wizened, dying Oak tree whose limbs extended above.

Standing in the middle of the clearing, Nina focused on the moon and focused on the current that flowed through her body, almost like it was electrified. She took several deep breaths before she raised her arms above her head and spread her wings wide. Pushing lightly off her feet, she flapped her wings enough that she was hovering above the ground. Her wings protested in pain at the sudden use. It had been two weeks since she was last out to practice her flying because of the weather. Nina held her hands apart and whispered a chant under her breath, before a ball of fire appeared in her hands. With a cry of delight, she threw it to the ground, enjoying the hiss of melting snow. She cast several more spells, manipulating the fire balls to swirl around her as she flew into the open sky, away from the village so no one could see her.

Nina was the only one that had the ability to cast magic let alone fly in the entire village. The power was lost from her race long ago. Nina thought back to the one time her mother saw her flying around the back yard as a child, laughing in glee as she zapped bolts of lightning into the sky. Nina had been horrified when Louise had tackled her to the ground. "Mummy what are you doing!" She had cried, feebly punching her mother with her tiny chubby fists. Louise looked at her in fear, a tear running down her face. "Don't you ever do that again you hear me? Not a single one of us can do what you're doing, if it gets back to the Brood that you can fly we will lose you forever!" Louise had began weeping over her daughter, clutching her close. They never spoke of the event again, and Nina had to resort to sneaking out at night to fly. As far as she was aware, not even her father knew.

Nina had always known no matter what, she was different. She was raised knowing that she was different from the rest of her village- not that she thought she was better than anyone else, but because of her lineage. Had her life played out any differently, she would be a princess in a castle. One that probably was fond of the colour pink, had a magic staff and played with dolls every day.

Here, in this harsh lands, her soul had become hardened and her heart thundered with a rage that she struggled to keep in check. Nina flew through the night sky, her fire orbs keeping the deadly chill at bay. Once she was satisfied with her effort, Nina landed back on the forest clearing floor and made her way back home, day dreaming of wiping out the Brood and returning her people to their rightful place in the world, her fists clenched so tightly that she accidentally cut her palm and didn't even notice.

###

"What do you mean he wants to come to the village and have a meeting!" Eldon roared, standing up so fast that his chair screeched behind him. The elders looked back at him in fear, their mouths open slack at his sudden outburst. Eldon was a kind, gentle man and they were not used to seeing him in a full flight of rage. "I do NOT want any of them near this village, understood?!"

"Yes, sire we don't either but the message clearly said that Warlord Bronn wishes to come to an a-arrangement between the two races," the solider stuttered, his hands tight around the piece of parchment that held the message that had caused Eldon to go into a flight of rage.

Eldon swore, before swiping the letter out of the Wyndian's hand. "Meeting my ass, he just wants another blood bath," Eldon murmured, running a hand through his greying black hair, his eyes quickly scanning the words in front of him. "He expects me to welcome him on the day of high moon with open arms, is this brute mad?"

"Sire, we're best to comply with Bronn's wishes otherwise it _will_ be a bloodbath," Elder Kei spoke, his voice grave. The others nodded around him in agreement. "The last thing we want is to lose more people."

Eldon frowned, his fists starting to shake. "And what, we're just supposed to roll over and expose our bellies like a flea infested dog? We used to be a proud race, look at us now!"

"It is not the most ideal of situations," another Elder spoke "However he might be sincere? Perhaps this is our chance to reclaim our glory days."

"I can guarantee you he was being 'sincere' when he let his soldiers have my mother and ravage her to death while he forced my father the king to watch her be taken over and over, whipping him every time he tried to look away before executing him in front of his own people. Oh I bet he was absolutely 'sincere' when he lined up all the royal children he could get his hands, including my beloved sister, and let his dogs have them for a fine feast-"

"ELDON that is enough!" Leader of the elders Arya stood up, her champagne coloured eyes blazing in fury. Eldon's face blanched as he instantly regretting his stinging words. He looked around the table, no one could meet him in the eye as they all faced their own demons from the war. "We all know what happened, we were there. We feel the same way as you do but we cannot carry on like this. If he is willing to come to some sort of arrangement then so are we."

"Sire, uh there is one more thing you might want to read at the b-bottom of the n-n-note," the solider that brought the message broke the tense silence, looking at Eldon fearfully before backing away. Confused by his behaviour Eldon continued to read the letter. The room gasped as Eldon's face went even whiter and his eyes rolled back into his head before slumping to the floor into a heap.

"Boy, what was on that note that would cause our leader to faint!" Arya snapped as everyone rushed to Eldon's side. The young solider looked like he would rather face Bronn than answer her.

"Bronn has offered peace in e-exchange for Nina."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Nina groaned, covering her eyes with her thin blanket as Louise prodded her awake with her foot. "Rise and shine daughter, there are chores to do. Oh how I miss having maids..."

Nina rolled her eyes _'Yeah and you expect me to be one instead even though you keep going on about how 'royal' we are,'_ she thought dully to herself, curling up in a ball as she tried to avoid further assault. "All right mother! All right!" Nina hissed, stretching her slim body. "Lazy child," Louise smiled briefly, handing her a basket filled with their washing as Nina stood up. "There's a storm coming in, try to get these done before hand please."

With a frown, Nina trudged out of the house and made her way down to the river which had almost frozen over during the night. Slipping in line along side the other younger women of the village, she began to dunk the soiled clothing in the freezing water and scrub clean everything with the soap that one of the villagers made and sold at the markets. Nina looked around, feeling slightly guilty as the other women did not have a big block of soap like hers. With a shudder, Nina hastened her cleaning, her hands protesting at the temperature, knuckles turning painfully red.

"That skyline doesn't look too flash does it? I was hoping to see Wilbur tonight. Doubt that's going to happen." A girl spoke glumly next to her in hushed tones. Her friend paused from the pair of pants she was washing the soap suds off, scanning the sky with her hand above her brow. "You're right, oh I hope Pa manages to get more wood this time, last night was dreadfully cold with hardly any fire, I would hate to think of tonight. Maybe Wilbur can keep you warm huh?" The two teens giggled, bending in closer to whisper. Nina kept her eyes on the clothes in her hands as loneliness began to creep into her heart. She wished she could give up her block of soap and warm fire just to have some friends. Her royal status and family secrets kept potential companions at bay.

In truth, Nina had no friends.

Once she was satisfied that her mother would not complain bitterly about her handy work, Nina made her way back up the hill to her home with downcast eyes. At least she had Ruppie to love. She hung out the washing on the line her father had erected inside before locating her brother, who was playing with hand crafted blocks that had been gifted from a villager. Rupert looked up at her with his big, soft hazel eyes which were filled with unconditional love.  
Nina smiled as she bounced him on her hip, his innocent giggles lifting her spirits. She kissed Rupert's forehead, breathing in his baby smell as she brushed back his mop of dark hair. Nina adored how he had their mothers eyes, but Eldon's sharp face shape and hair. Nina was the opposite, she had Eldon's piercing arctic blue eyes and Louise's sunshine hair. "Oh you're a keeper," Nina murmured softly, tickling Rupert's pot belly which earned her a fit of giggles from her sibling.

"There is no way he is laying a hand on my daughter!"

Nina's head snapped towards her mothers shrill, panicked voice coming from outside. What on earth was she talking about?

"I don't think there is anyway around it. If he we don't comply he will surely kill the rest of us." Eldon's voice was lower than normal. Alarm bells rung in Nina's head as she clutched Rupert closer to her. His face screwed up as he began to cry, feeding off her anxiety.

"You will not be handing over Nina to Bronn!" Nina felt the room begin to swim around her. '_Bronn?! The leader of the Brood? Surely I have not heard them correctly!'_

Nina placed a crying Rupert on his mat, her heart thumping so loudly that she thought it was was going to burst through her rib cage. She heard the scuffling of feet and a loud sob. Nina stroked Rupert's face while she waited for her father to come back in, barely able to contain the shaking of her fingers.

Eldon looked grave when he closed the door behind him, like he had aged 10 years over night. Nina stared at him, unsure of what to say. Was her mind playing tricks on her? Where they really sending her away to the Brood Warlord? The man that crushed her nation with his dominating fist?

"I'm sorry daughter that you had to hear that." Eldon sat down in front of the fire with her, "I did not intend for you to hear about it like that but one of the villagers let slip to your mother what happened in last nights meeting, and of course there is no stopping her once she is on a roll," He smiled sadly at Nina. "I'm afraid what you heard is true. Warlord Bronn has offered peace to the people of Wyndia in exchange for you."

"What do you mean 'exchange'? I am a person, an individual. He has no right asking for me!" Nina spat, hugging her knees to her chest as she struggled to fight off a panic attack that threatened to overwhelm her. Eldon grimaced at her words. "Trust me daughter, I do not want to send you into the Drylands. I would rather offer myself in your place but unfortunately..." Nina's father sighed, running his hand through his hair. "I argued till I was blue in the face with the elders not to let you go, but... But they made the decision in the best interest of the village. I'm sorry Nina, I have failed you."

Nina watched in horror as her fathers shoulders began to shake as he wept beside her. She was use to seeing women cry, however seeing a man cry made her feel hollow inside, like the world was crashing down. "Papa don't be sorry." Nina whispered, wrapping her arms tightly around Eldon in an effort to soothe him. "Why does he want me? He doesn't know what I look like, he doesn't know anything about me."

Eldon's head snapped up, a frown crossing his features. "One of his spies spotted you in the fields, he saw how white and pure your wings are and knew you were a royal straight away, not to mention how beautiful you are. What did I tell you about going into the fields Nina. I warned you and I warned you not to go there. You thought it was because I didn't want you to be a dirty 'pheasant' like your mother insisted, but I was worried about this all along. I feel like I am living my worst nightmare."

Ninas stomach dropped like a rock. Bile rose in her throat. "I'm s-s-sorry father, am I really going to have to leave here? Will I ever see you again? What about mother? Ruppie?" Ninas voice became higher with each word as the situation began to sink in. She detested living on the mountain, but it was the only home she had ever known. "What is he going to do to me father!?"

"He wishes to have you as his head mistress."

"I don't understand?"

"You are to be his second wife. You are to entertain his every need and whim." Nina gasped, realizing what her father meant. One of the beggars on the streets had told her about how Warlord Bronn had dozen upon dozens of beautiful women that he kept locked up in his castle, keeping his bed warm at night.

"I would rather cut my own throat than go through with this!"

"I'm sorry Nina, there is no other option. If we don't present you to the Warlord come the high moon, he will surely kill us all."

"Liar, liar! How could you!" Nina choked, tears rolling down her face in rivers. Eldon looked at her with blank eyes, his face a shadow of pain. He reached out to her as Nina scrambled away from him. "No don't touch me!" She burst wildly out of the house, using her wings to push herself from the ground. She ignored the gasps of shock and horror from the villagers as she took to the sky, the cold wind biting at her exposed flesh. She pumped her wings, raising altitude at an incredible speed, faster that what she had ever done before.

Clouds whipped past her as she climbed up higher, almost reaching the peak of Mount Voldorn. The tears began to freeze on her lashes, forming tiny icicles. The wind became stronger, pushing her aside as she struggled to maintain her pace. Eventually, it became too much. Nina crashed landed in the snow, crying out in pain as she landed on one of her wings. With an enraged roar, the weather went berserk around her as the blizzard settled in. Nina rolled around in the snow, disorientated and in pain. Ice pummeled at her with with its closed fist.

'_Oh dear Landon, I'm going to die out here!'_

Nina sobbed as the freezing temperatures pulled at her skin. She wordlessly summoned her fire balls, but they were blown away by the gale force winds. Feeling helpless, Nina looked around her. All she could see was a blinding white wall, she couldn't even see her own feet. Nina scrambled around on her hands and knees in vain, looking for some form of shelter. She was about to give up and accept her death when she came across a small rocky opening. "Ouch!" Nina withdrew her hand as the sharp sides sliced her hand open. Carefully, she felt around the edges, it was just big enough for her to fit into.

Easing herself in, Nina dropped into the dark cave. She lit up a feeble fire ball with the last of her energy. She was so cramped in the hole that she was barely able to fit her wings in it. She felt fatigue win the battle over her body. Before her eyes closed she wondered with regret what kind of chaos she will have caused in the village and if they would ever find her rotting carcass in this tiny hole.

_###_

Bronn was not an easy man to please. His tempter was well notoriously renown through the Drylands as being shorter than a poor mans dagger. In fact, he was quicker to anger than a mad bull preparing to stampede.

Ryu reminded himself of this as he kept his eyes averted as he instinctively noticed the familiar signs of displeasure creep into his Warlords features, the most obvious was the vein throbbing on Bronn's balding temple as a messenger shook in fear in front of him. Ryu shifted uncomfortably in his amour from his vantage point at the side of the hall as he witnessed the messenger piss his pants, a wet patch running down the leg of his cotton trousers. Ryu gripped his sword in uneasiness and chewed on a lose lock of his long blue hair that had strayed near his mouth, knowing what was to come next having seen it played out so many times before.

"What do you mean she is missing fool! And missing for two days? Why have I only just found out about this!" Bronn spat, waving a greasy turkey leg and showering his wife Lady Elaine who sat to the right of him in a splatter of oil, causing her to scrunch her long pointed nose in disgust. It was dinner time for the lords of Kagutsuchi* in the main hall. Which was the worst time to present news to the Warlord, no matter how urgent it was for Bronn really did enjoy his food and wine. Ryu couldn't help but feel sorry for the boy, he looked like he was barely starting puberty.

"Take this imbecile away at once, I want his tongue ripped off as punishment so he can't tell me terrible news ever again!" Bronn barked, ripping off a chunk of turkey meat and chewing it so loudly it made Ryu want to cover his ears even though he was at least ten metres away. The Brood solider sighed in relief as Bronn motioned at the two soldiers beside him to take the boy away, pleased it wasn't himself that had been chosen. The ;ast time someone had pissed Bronn off, which was only the day before, the Warlord had the mans eyes gouged right in the middle of the hall before his throat was cut. Ryu didn't have the stomach for unnecessary torture.

"Perhaps it is a good thing Nina has run away, we don't need that Wyndian filth in our castle," Lady Elaine looked hard at Bronn, her thin cruel mouth turned down with disapproval.

"Oh shut it ye old bat, you're just jealous that I no longer want to look at your naked body. Scrawny old hag." Bronn guffawed, letting out a mighty roar that matched his equally large frame. Lady Elaine looked at her husband in horror, her cheeks pink with humiliation. "You horrid brute!" She snapped as she gathered the large folds of her treacle coloured formal dress. "Oh bugger off to ye chambers and cry over there, I don't wanna see it. Just remember I can easily send ye back to the shit 'ole that I found ye from!" He called after her as she burst through the main doors out of the hall, her women in waiting scrambling after her.

"Boys, don't eva marry the rich Brood blood. Their all about their dresses and funny lookin' hair dos, not enough about the sex!" Bronn snickered crudely, the men in the room forcing themselves to laugh at his joke. "Now, Sir Hayato, organize a little party to go to those pesky birdies. I want Nina!" The Warlord snapped childishly, slamming a large fist on the wooden table, causing his wine goblet to fall over. A servant rushed to his side, mopping up the mess. Sir Hayato stepped in front of the main table, crouching down on one knee. "Yes Warlord, it will be an honour, when would you like us to be dispatched?"

"Daybreak. I'll be takin' her, you mark my words. Remind them I will be comin' in little under two weeks, with or without my army depends entirely on them." Bronn smirked, his eyes glittering with hatred as he twisted a finger through his large ginger beard. Ryu shuddered at his words, feeling sorry for whoever this Nina person was and for her sake, he hoped that she had escaped. She was better off dead than left alone with Bronn.

_###_

"Ryu you slow poke, stop day dreaming!"

Ryu shook his head in alarm, rubbing sleep out of the corner of his eyes. He looked at his comrade guiltily, before urging his horse on with a dig of his heals. He flashed Tommas a sheepish smile, flashing his large canines as he caught up to the small group.

"Jeez, you're as lazy as a common whore sometimes bro," Tommas laughed, slapping Ryu on the back causing the smaller blue haired male to lurch forward in his saddle.

"You're filthy Tommas, do you kiss your mother with that mouth?" Ryu jested back, trying to regain his posture with as much dignity as possible.

"No, I kiss your mother with it though and she doesn't complain- ouch!" Tommas protested in pain as Ryu cut him off with a quicl jab at his ribs.

"You two, stop joking around this isn't the boy scouts." Sir Hayato snapped from the front of the group. Tommas ran a hand through his shaggy mop of blonde hair, resisting the urge to laugh."See this is what happens when you day dream," He whispered as he leant in closer to his Brood companion.

Ryu shook his head before replying, "No this is what happens when you're friends when an idiot."

Tommas winked at Ryu, clicking his tongue to hurry his horse on. Ryu sighed, counting his lucky stars that Tommas had been selected to go with the group as well. It would have been a long few days without him, especially being stuck with the stern Sir Hayato who had the personality of a brick wall.

They had made good progress in the journey so far, leaving the desert behind them yesterday and making their way through the wilderness that had once been Wyndian forests. Their destination Mount Voldorn was on the horizon, with it's lethal looking peaks rising high in the air, reminding Ryu of the jagged edge of a shark tooth. Ryu shivered, he much preferred the hot dry heat of the Drylands and could already feel the temperature begin to drop. Not for the first time in his life, he wondered how these people could survive in such a harsh climate.

"_And_ _I wonder who this Nina girl is that is causing all this fuss," _Ryu mused, trying to picture her in his mind. He had overheard a maid in the castle whispering that Nina was the late king Rupert's granddaughter, and was a beauty that was only witness once in a lifetime. Ryu had never seen a Wyndian before, and had no idea what to expect for their wings. Perhaps they would look like a sparrows, or a turkey?

He doubted that they would look like the leathery, cruel wings of the Brood - not that he had seen many of his kind in their true form. In fact, in Ryu's 21 years of life he had not even transformed himself. The one law in Dragon was that Brood only transformed if their life was in danger. It was necessary for their survival as a race. If fights got out of hand between two hot headed males, a whole village could be wiped out over night, let alone the damage and devastation caused by rioting.

Tommas had once told him quietly while they were sparring as part of their training that the laws on transformations were strict because Bronn was scared someone would go after his throne, so he kept an iron grip on the power of his people. This didn't surprise Ryu, for Mizuchi* was a seedy place, reeking of backstabbing and corrupt politics. He shuddered, remembering what happened to one of the boys at the barracks who had changed form after a furious row with another solider. The neck of those who transformed without a solid reason were often met the executioners blade, _if _they were lucky. Bronn certainly was creative with his punishments.

A lot of the Mizuchi peasants didn't even know how to transform, or were that inbred with human blood they couldn't. Ryu remembered vividly the night his father had transformed- the only time Ryu had ever seen a change. His fathers huge cobalt blue body spanning wide in front of Ryu and his trembling mother as they crouched behind the dumpster in a dark, dingy alleyway protecting them from the large mob. The smell of burning skin and the sight of tearing skin was forever imprinted on Ryu's mind.

Ryu frowned, the familiar feeling of frustration and guilt stirring in the pit of his stomach. During the attack, a bandit had knocked him unconscious and had left him in the alley way. He had awoken to the sneer of a city guard, shaking his shoulder with little disregard for the boys state. It was the same man who had told him that his parents were no more, their slain bodies lying in a cooling pool of blood next to him.

That same night Ryu, only 14, had been turned over to the army to be trained as a solider instead of being sent the orphanage due to his body conditioning from working in his fathers blacksmiths. To this day Ryu thanked Landon that someone recognized that Ryu had potential and was not throwen out onto the streets or turned into a slave, which would've been his fate if he had been sent to the Orphanage. This was the biggest stroke of luck he could have encountered at the time for he had no family, no hope of achieving anything as his parents had no wealth behind them, only debt. This was where he met Tommas, whose family had died around the same time from Dragon Pox. Together they hid their grief from losing their loved ones, their bond growing strong with each passing season. Without Tommas he would be nothing.

They had trained relentlessly together, using their emotional anger to fuel them into becoming better fighters. They were both naturals, with Ryu's small frame and speed work he was able to execute swordplay perfectly whereas Tommas was better suited for brute strength, and was able to crush anything with his battleaxe. Their opposites made them perfect partners, and they rose steadily through the ranks. Although it had been a hard road,

"RYU! Quit day dreaming or I'll hand you over to be whipped!"

The blue haired swordsman gulped and shook his head as Sir Hayato snarled from the front. It was going to be a long day.


End file.
